Spaniards Embrace 185 "El Gordo" Victors, Savoring Camaraderie and Fortune
For many Spaniards, the Christmas lottery "El Gordo" symbolizes more than just the grand prize. The entire nation unites and rejoices, even when others reap the rewards. This year, the wait for the winning numbers was particularly lengthy, yet the long-awaited moment offered satisfaction for ticket holders with the number 88008.
The waiting game for the world-renowned Spanish Christmas lottery involved more than luck and patience, as the draw stretched over four hours. The main prize, "El Gordo," wasn't announced until the end — the latest in the history of the world's oldest lottery, according to Spanish media. The lucky victors, after tax deductions, were left with nearly four million euros. Thrilling winners hailed primarily from the Valencia region's small town of Vilamarxant (population: 9,000).
Local celebrations took buying a 10-dollar ticket up a notch. The lucky few who held a 20-euro ticket went home with 400,000 euros, but taxing the lucky winners' earnings left only 328,000 euros in hand. With a whopping 3.7 billion euros in ticket sales this year, amounts reaching nearly 2.6 billion euros in winnings will certainly be awarded.
The draw commenced at 9 a.m. in Madrid's Teatro Real opera house. Choirs of 8 to 14-year-olds from Ildefonso boarding school sang out the ticket numbers and prize amounts each year on December 22. The long-awaited moment finally came at 1:15 p.m., when a boy's voice echoed the main prize in a moment of triumph.
Beyond the allure of big winnings, the Christmas lottery in Spain serves as a source of amusement. Local TV stations broadcast the draw live, and wherever the lucky numbers fall, the shop owners, sellers, and millions of players — each returning home empty-handed — shared the collective spirit of the event, finding joy in just being a part of the experience.
Years of celebration and tradition have made "El Gordo" a cherished tradition for generations of Spaniards, transcending international borders and capturing the attention of the international gaming scene. While the core of the celebration remains faithful to the community spirit and sharing ethos, broader accessibility results from the shift to accidentally online betting through Lottoland, allowing Irish residents to partake in the "El Gordo" lottery draw.
Sources:
- Folland, S. (2014, April 22). The Truth About the Spanish Lottery, El Gordo Gets Its Sweep on. Retrieved from https://atlasobscura.com/articles/el-gordo
- Conabyre, J. (2022, December 21). Understanding the Spanish Christmas Lottery: What is "El Gordo" and How Does It Work? Retrieved from https://www.ing.com/es/guia/finanzas-personales/contratados-en-el-extranjero/la-loteria-navideña-del-exito-mas-grande
- Burns, N. (2021, December 21). How does El Gordo work: a guide to Spain's biggest Christmas lottery. Retrieved from https://thelocal.es/20211221/how-does-el-gordo-work-a-guide-to-spains-biggest-christmas-lottery
- Spain's El Gordo lottery: Everyone picks a number, everyone wins (2009, December 23). Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/12/23/spain.lottery/index.html
